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Opinion

Two pedestrians and a car watch the RapidRide H bus go by.

Bus Service Needs Investment Rather Than Neglect

Transit is at a crossroads. The pandemic upended a period of growing ridership and service that saw Seattle lead the nation in both the...
A trolley bus heading down 15th Ave E in Seattle

Sparse Frequencies Limit Potential of Metro’s Proposed RapidRide G Bus Reshuffle

RapidRide G Line will have lots of capacity during the day, but evenings and connections get dicey. Next year, the Seattle Department of Transportation...

Let’s Try to be Optimistic for Once, Seattle

Any frequent reader of The Urbanist knows that we have a long and painstakingly catalogued list of gripes with Seattle. From the completely avoidable...

What We Know About Sound Transit’s Alternatives to a Chinatown Station

It ain't much, but that's all the Board's going on too. This week, the Sound Transit Board of Directors will be deciding on preferred Ballard...
Jackson Street with two pedestrians crossing at 5th Avenue next to the protected bike lane. The Chinatown station is in the background.

Sound Transit is Not Ready for Its Big Chinatown Station Decision

At a public meeting on Thursday afternoon, the Sound Transit Board of Directors intend to select preferred station locations for the light rail system's...

The Next ‘Big One’ Could Mean Big Displacement for Seattle’s Black Population

This op-ed originally was published by the South Seattle Emerald. On February 28th, 2001, I was in middle school, in the computer lab. I remember...
The Capitol building in Olympia is marble colored and include pillars and a dome in the classic style.

Legislature Abandons Rent Stabilization Push

Partnering with Republicans on housing supply may have helped doom tenant legislation. Last Wednesday marked a major deadline for bills in the Washington State Legislature,...

Images from Ballard Commons’ Reopening, in All Its Imperfect Glory

On Saturday, the fences came down and the green space at the center of Ballard was reopened. Closed in December 2021 so the city...